Ice Dams

Warren, as usual, is on the money as it relates to how a house works.

The main culprit in the creation of an ice dam is insulation — or, as Warren points out — lack thereof. What’s happening is that the above-freezing air in your attic is melting snow under the snow-pack. Once it hits the eave or gutter — which is beyond the heat-source — it refreezes.

To add a little to Warren’s piece: As the water backs up behind the dam, the roof doesn’t leak in the sense that there’s a hole in it. It’s that the water simply finds its way up under the shingle tabs and through the tarpaper. It has nothing to do with water pressure pushing down too hard on the shingles or anything like that.

Click below to read more on DIYNetwork.